LEADING TO A GOAL
GAY D. CUNANAN
Leadership is the capacity to lead, providing direction or guiding a country. The word leadership, is someone who does things for the good of the country and people, and who stands up for their nation in a time of critical situation. These two leaders have done this in similar and different ways. The leaders of the past were Martin Luther King and George Bush.
Leadership is a position of power held by an individual in a group, which provides him with an opportunity to exercise interpersonal influence on the group members for mobilizing and directing their efforts towards certain goals. The leader is at the centre of group’s power structure, keeps the group together, infuses life into it, moves it towards its goals and maintains its momentum. He may emerge in a group by virtue of his personality characteristics and qualities or by virtue of common consent by group members. In the latter case, the leader derives his power from the group members. He continues in the leadership position at the pleasure of group members collectively. Leadership position exists in most group settings irrespective of the size of the group.
For example, a leader of national or international standing commands widespread influence over a large number of people while the influence of the leader of a small work group in an organisation is very limited. Both are leaders in their own right and fulfil our definition of leadership.
A good leader builds and maintains a group, gets the job done, helps the group feel comfortable and at ease, helps set and clearly define objectives while assuming the role of guiding or helping others perform.
Despite what some might think, there are no born leaders. Leadership is something that is acquired through life experiences and practice. Martin Luther King and George W. Bush were some successful leaders in the world. They have lots of special qualities that makes them a good leader.
Martin Luther King, Jr. had all of the characteristics including trustworthy, professionalism and enabling of a good leader. He was courageous, sincere, truthful, honest and fair with plenty of integrity as a God fearing minister. He listened to the needs of others and explained effectively what he wanted and why he wanted those things. When King dealt with the vicious dogs and bull-horns of the heavily armed and hostile Alabama police force, he showed his leadership skills at sharing the responsibilities as well as the opportunities that come with being a leader. He never argued, he only communicated efficiently and peacefully with the opposition. King realized that all around him there was hostility, so he counteracted this with an anti-violence approach. He had plenty of commitment to his cause and showed unquestioned patience at all times, even going to jail and undergoing racial abuse to further his beliefs. — oOo—
The author is SST III at Cristo Rey High School, Division Of Tarlac Province